//------------------------------// // Petty warfare // Story: Betraying Tempest // by ChibiRenamon //------------------------------// Breath mints. Twenty-minute grooming session for the perfect coat and mane. Reservations in his favorite restaurant. Arrangements for a royal chariot. Bribing the weather ponies on duty to arrange for a perfectly sunny day. When he put his mind to it, Blueblood could get a lot done in less than an hour. Okay, he thought as he made his way down the corridor, I made sure that this would be the perfect lunch date. Now all I need is some charm, a confession, and a cell in the Canterlot maximum security complex. He absentmindedly knocked at Regelreiter’s door as he walked past it. Usually, aides - or lawyers - didn’t get VIP suites in the royal palace, but Blueblood had wanted to make sure that Regelreiter would live the best life possible while under the prince’s employ. Although that decision backfired spectacularly yesterday - not only is he now living a few doors away from a literal enemy of the state, but I just had to insist on walking him to his quarters yesterday! Still, if it hadn’t been for this uncharacteristic act of kindness, who knew when he would have realized what Tempest Shadow was up to? “Looking mighty fine, boss,” Regelreiter commented after hurrying out of his room. “Of course I do.” Blueblood huffed. “I need everything to be perfect.” “Guards even polished their armor, nice.” Blueblood gave the two stallions behind him a curt nod over his shoulder. “They also look strong, and they have been briefed to keep their mouths shut.” “Ah, that’s... good,” Regelreiter said with little conviction. Something was bothering him, but what else was new? They stopped in front of Tempest’s suite. Blueblood knocked and put on his most seductive smile. Showtime. “Prince Blueblood!” Tempest yanked open the door with way too much force, grinning in a way that looked equal parts nervous and forced. Blueblood barely refrained from smirking. She is out of her depth already! Perfect! “Miss Shadow, you look splendid!” he lied, taking care not to stare at the remains of her horn. She gave him a confused stare before blinking. “Oh! Ah, thanks...?” She frowned. “You somehow look even better than an hour ago.” “I give my best.” Unlike you. He smiled warmly. “Shall we?” Her smile froze for a second. “Right. Right. Just... let me grab my coat.” Her coat? Has she looked outside recently? It’s a perfect summer day! I paid good money to make sure of it! He was about to point this out when he saw the garment she was about to throw onto her body. “What is THAT!?” he squealed and pointed at what was probably the ugliest, dirtiest, most common piece of fabric in all of Canterlot. He yanked it out of her hooves with a burst of magic and- The temperature in the room seemed to simultaneously drop and skyrocket as Tempest shot him the most murderous glare he had ever been subjected to. He had, of course, seen plenty of these before, usually after breaking up with his fling of the week. But while plenty of his exes had had the motivation, none of them had had the experience. He took a quick step back and dropped the coat. “Ah, that was a... reflex.” He smiled sheepishly. “No harm done, right?” Tempest blinked, then snapped out of her murderous rage. “Ah, my bad, sorry. You just startled me.” She started to pick up the coat, then stopped. “You don’t like it?” “It’s fine, no worries.” He forced a smile. “I just... this is just...” He took a deep breath to calm down. Somehow, dating Tempest was a constant cycle of adrenaline spikes and smooth-talking. “It just looks a bit... ah... pedestrian.” She gave the garment a look. “Well... yeah.” She shrugged. “That’s the point. It lets me blend in.” Blueblood blinked. He had heard the words, but somehow, they failed to convey meaning to him. “Blend... in? Why would you want to blend in?” There was a long pause as they exchanged puzzled looks. “Not everybo-...” She quickly shook her head. “Not everypony is you, Your Majesty.” “Your Highness,” Blueblood corrected her without thinking. “I’m not royalty.” She raised an eyebrow. He blinked, then burst out laughing. “No, that’s my title!” He fought to regain his composure. “Kings and queens are Your Majesty, princes and princesses are Your Highness.” She frowned for a moment, then groaned and punched the side of her head with enough force that Blueblood briefly worried that she would knock herself out. “Idiot!” she hissed at herself, then cleared her throat. “Right. So. Not everypony is you, Your Highness. Ponies tend to get nervous when they see me, so the coat helps me keep a low profile.” An undercover disguise! Subterfuge! He nodded, hoping that the guards behind him were keeping track of all the blindingly obvious clues as well. If she keeps incriminating herself like this, I won’t even need a confession! “Well, be that as it may, you will be standing next to me. That is the opposite of a low profile.” He dialed up his charming smile to slightly desperate levels. “Also, I will not be seen with somepony wearing such a mundane garment.” “...ah.” She didn’t look convinced. At all. In fact, she looked more uncomfortable with each passing second. “Right... right...” I will never get a confession out of her if she keeps mourning her stupid coat or her precious low profile! I need her to be at ease! He opened his mouth, but even with his entire kingdom at stake, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her to wear this atrocity of a coat. “Hnnngh...” Quick! Some sort of compromise! Something that keeps her happy while also preserving my image! “Why... don’t we go shopping for a nicer coat? My treat!” Regelreiter quietly cleared his throat behind him. “Won’t that collide with your restau-...” He stopped when Blueblood whipped his head around to give him an exasperated look. “Right. I’ll head there to reschedule and meet you in the merchant district. Le Requin de Verre, I presume?” He retreated when Blueblood merely nodded. HOW HARD IS IT TO TAKE THIS MARE ON A DATE? His smile was looking less convincing by the second. Tempest’s smile on the other hoof was looking much more genuine now. “Well, I suppose I should say yes before you blow a gasket.” “Do you derive pleasure from my aggravation?” he couldn’t help but ask as he brushed aside a stray lock of his not anymore perfectly coiffed mane. Twenty minutes of work down the drain. He huffed. “No,” she answered but didn’t stop smiling. “However, I find it reassuring to see that, fancy title or not, you’re a pony. Just like me.” A pony just like you? A pony JUST LIKE YOU? He bristled at that. DID SHE REALLY JUST SAY THAT? His smile was completely gone by now. “I am nothing like you!” he snapped. Then, lowering his voice a bit, he added, “I’m more than you’ll ever be.” Tempest’s eyes went wide at this, and Blueblood realized that he had once again wrecked his chances of- “I apologize.” Blueblood’s face was stuck somewhere between anger and regret, making him look like he was holding back a really bad sneeze. “You... apologize?” “I do.” Tempest cocked her head. “It’s a long story, but let’s just say that I had a bad case of déjà vu just now, and I realize that I shouldn’t pretend that I know you.” She shrugged. “Every pony has a story to tell. Princess Twilight was willing to listen to mine, and I’d be honored to listen to yours.” Oh, she’s good. She’s very, very good. She made me snap, then cast herself as repentant and as some sort of mediator. Clever. He knew that he had just been played. The details and extent were still up in the air, but he was now sure that she must have received diplomatic training similar to his own. Just evil. Evil diplomacy. Yes. He forced himself to calm down and to stand up straight. I need to up my game. At this rate, I won’t have her arrested during lunch. Dinner? Maybe. But this will take focus and all of my diplomatic skills. He smiled. Good. Otherwise, aunt Celestia might think that any old pony could have stopped Tempest. “It’s fine,” he lied. “I shouldn’t have snapped so easily, but I have issues with-...” He waved his hoof. “Ah, I’ll tell you once we settle down for lunch.” Perfect! Tease information, then hold it back. Have her be the one to want something from me! “But before we do that, let’s go shopping.” She smiled and nodded. “Very well. Lead the way, Your Highness.” Tempest had not said a word during the entire trip from the courtyard to the Merchant District. Blueblood wasn’t sure if it had been an act or not, but she had looked utterly shellshocked. And when the two pegasus guards who pulled the chariot touched down on the plaza, it was hard to tell who was looking more shocked - Tempest or the crowd around them. Even without his extensive training, Blueblood would have been able to read the crowd effortlessly. Given that he had dragged out the pony responsible for an extremely recent attack on this very city, he did not blame them for being anxious about Tempest’s presence. He was less sure what Tempest’s issue was, though - she surely wasn’t afraid of a few townsponies seeing her, right? Showtime. “Good morning, everypony!” he greeted the crowd and gave them his best smile. When it was becoming apparent that Tempest Shadow was not going to be arrested (yet) and that she also wasn’t going to burn down the closest building, some of them smiled and waved back. Still, he could tell that he wasn’t going to win any popularity contests with her by his side. I really need to wrap this up before the end of the day, or it’ll take me weeks just to salvage my reputation! “Let’s just go,” Tempest whispered, and Blueblood almost literally did a double-take when he heard her tone. “Please don’t tell me you’re nervous or even scared!” he teased her. Or actually... please do! And then tell me why! “Never underestimate civilians in masses, especially not when they are feeling threatened or oppressed.” She gave him a look, and his smile once again froze. Her posture suggested fear, but her eyes told a vastly different story. “All it takes is one of them deciding that he really needs to throw a brick at me right now, and you got a medium-sized riot on your hooves.” Blueblood’s eyes flicked from her to the crowd, then back at her. Finally, he gave her a warm smile. “I believe you don’t give Canterlot enough credit. These ponies have been through hardships before, and they trust the royal family to make the right calls.” He shrugged. “Besides, every single one of them probably received direct or indirect monetary compensation for their struggles.” “Money can’t buy loyalty.” “Of course it can.” He started to lead her towards his favorite clothing store, ignoring the incredulous looks his subjects were giving him. “Money can buy anything if you apply enough of it.” He had his back turned to her, but he could feel her judging look. Never mind. I don’t blame her - she probably never had enough money for a proper bribe and just had to murder all her problems. Which, I’ll admit, is a very efficient strategy once you become good at it. Still, it lacks... elegance. He pushed open the door of Shawl & Peak, gave his two guards a brief command to wait outside, and put on his best smile. “Lapel! How is my favorite tailor doing today?” The unicorn with the light grey coat and perfectly coiffed black mane behind the counter gave him a slightly too wide smile. It was the smile of a pony who knew he would make a lot of money very soon. Maybe not quite as much as his pinstripe suit would have cost him, had he not made it himself, but still up there. And then that smile froze. “...Your Highness?” You are joking. Please tell me you are joking. “Lapel,” he said and gestured behind him, “meet Tempest Shadow. Tempest, meet Lapel Peak, co-owner of Shawl & Peak.” He turned to face her and paused when he saw that she had noticed the frozen smile as well and was likely already calculating the best way to murder everypony in the room. “He is one of the best tailors in all of Canterlot and has never let me down, even when I approached him with last-minute pleas.” “Pleasure,” Tempest muttered and gave him a slightly forced smile. “Ah-ha-ha-ha...” Blueblood coughed quietly before deciding to shift the focus to the business side. “Lapel, I require your help. My-” Date? Love? Friend? How daring am I? “-acquaintance requires something nice to-” -cover up at least some of her disfigurements. “-keep her coat warm.” “What little of it is left,” Lapel muttered. Wow. Blueblood blinked at that. I mean, he’s not exactly wrong, what with all of her scars, but still, talk about rude. “Just show us what you have in terms of coats. I was thinking about something... maybe a bit subdued. You always have an eye for timeless designs, so you probably-” “Nothing.” “-have a better idea than-...” Blueblood blinked. Did he just interrupt me? Then he blinked again. “Did you just say that you have... nothing?” Lapel Peak took a deep breath as if anticipating that he had crossed a line. Still, he did not back down. “That is correct, Your Highness.” The discussion was not going in a direction he enjoyed. In fact, the mere existence of a discussion was a clear indicator of that. “But-...” He considered his words. Tried to predict where things were going. Then he pushed. “But what about the designs over there? They look roughly like what I have in mind.” Lapel didn’t even turn around to look at what Blueblood had pointed at. “Not for sale.” “Not for-...” He laughed. It was a fake, calculated laugh, and he knew that Lapel knew, just like he knew that he and Lapel were going through pre-calculated motions, racing towards an ugly conclusion. The question was who was going to back off first. “Pardon me, old friend, but is this not a clothing store?” “It is, Your Highness.” Lapel was looking uncomfortable, but he wasn’t backtracking. “And am I pointing at clothing here in this clothing store?” Blueblood’s fake smile widened until it was nothing more than a caricature. “Clothing that has price tags dangling from it?” Lapel took a breath so deep that Blueblood briefly worried that he would pop like a balloon. “I’m very sorry, Your Highness.” “Don’t be sorry; just make the sale.” “...no.” “...no?” “No.” Lapel’s voice was barely a whisper now, and his eyes focused on something highly interesting on the floor. “Are you denying me your business, Lapel?” “No, Your Highness,” Lapel said, sensing a chance to get on Blueblood’s good side again. “I am denying her my business.” He looked back up to meet Blueblood’s eyes, hoping for a smile and finding none. “Ignoring the fact that denying anypony your business is a highly questionable move, and ignoring the fact that you are doing this to my dear acquaintance, who was invited to stay at the royal palace by Her Royal Highness, Prin-” “I’m just-” “-PRINCESS CELESTIA, AND YOU WILL NOT INTERRUPT ME, YOU INSOLENT FOAL!” Lapel’s eyes went wide at that. “Y-Your Highness, this is a m-matter of principle and-” “PRINCIPLE?” Blueblood gave him a look that made Lapel glad that only the two royal sisters possessed the power to move celestial bodies at will. “ARE YOU COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR MIND?” “No, he’s not.” The calm voice made both stallions blink. “You’re shooting the messenger.” “Pardon me?” Blueblood slowly turned to face Tempest before immediately taking a step back. While the crippled unicorn wasn’t looking mad or even particularly angry, there was a fire in her eyes that made his own rage look like a foal’s tantrum. Tempest slowly stepped closer until she was standing right in front of Lapel, who appeared to be frozen in fear. “I’ve met his type many times before. Diplomats. Negotiators. Even commanders and generals.” She leaned forward, and Lapel leaned back. “Zero conviction. Just doing what he’s been told to do and saying what he’s been told to say.” Blueblood gasped when he realized that she was right - nothing about Lapel’s demeanor suggested that this had been his idea. “Of course. This isn’t what he wants, but he has to play along.” “Who is pulling your strings, my little puppet?” Tempest purred. Lapel gritted his teeth. “Why should I tell you?” “Because-...” Tempest suddenly frowned. “...actually, that’s an excellent question. This is usually the part where I punch you and then have your store firebombed, but this isn’t who I want to be anymore.” She gave Blueblood a confused look, ignoring the way Lapel almost fainted. “What are our options here?” Blueblood narrowed his eyes and gave Lapel a dark look. “Little, possibly,” he hissed. “I’ll have to consult with Regelreiter because so far, nopony had been dumb enough to deny me business.” “I’m not-...” Lapel lamely tried to correct him, but a quick glare from Blueblood silenced him. “However, let it be known that I am severely disappointed, Lapel.” Blueblood abruptly turned around. “Come, Tempest, let’s pay a visit to Joan of Jacquard. They have an excellent selection of fabrics.” He heard Lapel opening and then closing his mouth. “...is there anything you wish to tell me, Lapel?” Blueblood asked without turning around. “They will also not sell her anything.” Only now did he turn around. “Who else is in on this, Lapel?” “Your Highness, if you-” “WHO ELSE IS BOYCOTTING A PRINCE OF EQUESTRIA, LAPEL?” Lapel winced, and on some deranged level, Blueblood was happy that he had somehow managed to intimidate him more than Tempest had. “It’s... the guild, Your Highness.” Blueblood’s eyes went wide at that. “The Tailors’ Guild? The entire Tailors’ Guild is in on this? That’s insane! Are you telling me that nearly every tailor in Canterlot-” “No,” Lapel whispered. “That’s better. So it’s only part of the Tailors’ Guild, then?” Which is still horrible and should be outlawed, but this is progress. “No, Your Highness.” Lapel was clearly bracing himself for the worst. “It’s the Merchants’ Guild.” “The-” Blueblood did a double-take. “The Merchants’ Guild? As in, the guild that oversees the activities of the various smaller guilds? That’s, what, nine out of ten businesses in all of Canterlot!?” “Well, your, ah, acquaintance locked down more than that with her army, so...” Well, yes, but that’s a lesser issue than what she is up to now, and your petty revenge stunt is endangering everything! He gritted his teeth. Also, you received compensation for that! “Fine,” he finally hissed. “Be that way.” And with that, he charged out of the shop. “REGELREITER!” His lawyer, who had been chatting with the guards, looked up. “Right here, no need to shout...” “FOLLOW ME!” “...what went wrong now?” the Earth pony asked even as he and the two guards jogged to catch up with him. “What went wrong? WHAT WENT WRONG?” Blueblood boarded his chariot and whistled sharply at the two pegasus ponies strapped to the front of it. “Home!” Regelreiter and the two guards barely made it onto the moving chariot before it took off into the sky. “Boss, you forgot-” “HE SAID NO TO ME!” Blueblood roared. “HE! DENIED! ME! BUSINESS!” “What? Are you serious?” Regelreiter was looking astounded. But then he shook his head as if he had thought of something more important, a notion which Blueblood immediately dismissed. “But could we maybe turn around real fast? Because-” “NO!?” Blueblood gave him an exasperated look. “WEREN’T YOU LISTENING? I CAN’T JUST GO BACK! NOT AFTER THE HUMILIATION I HAD TO ENDURE!” “...do you need to keep shouting?” “YES!” Blueblood blinked. “Well... no,” he finally muttered, deflating slightly. “But-... Lapel Peak denied me business!” Regelreiter looked into his widened eyes and frowned. “...you’re in shock, I get it,” he finally muttered. “Okay, we can use that as an apology later.” “Apology?” Blueblood shook his head as if to clear his ears. “APOLOGY? Do you think Lapel deserves an APOLOGY? I need you to prepare a LAWSUIT against him, not an APOLOGY!” “Well, no, I’m not suggesting you should apologize to that guy.” Regelreiter hesitated. “Or at least I’m not suggesting that until I got the full story out of you.” “Then who do you think deserves an apology?” Blueblood sneered. “Not even getting into the matter of royalty not apologizing to peasants like Lapel.” “What about Tempest?” “What about Tempest? She’s also a peasant, and I literally just said that I wouldn’t apologize to-” He froze when he realized that the four seats in the chariot were occupied by him, Regelreiter, and the two guards. “-TEMPEST!” Why isn’t she here? How did I not realize this? Why did my personal guards insist on-... okay, okay, fine, makes sense for them, but-... ARGH! “There we go.” Regelreiter let out a quiet sigh. “Shall we turn around?” He waited for a reply. Then, long seconds of silence later, he cleared his throat to address the pegasus guards in front of the chariot. “HEY! WE NEED TO-” “No.” Regelreiter gave him a long look. “Are you sure about this?” “This takes absolute precedence,” Blueblood muttered and immediately held up a hoof when Regelreiter wanted to object. “I will send guards to escort her back once we arrive at the palace. Forgetting her is indeed unfortunate, but the damage is done. I will salvage that later, but in order to take her on a date, I will first need to deal with the Merchants’ Guild. Because they have apparently decreed that they would not let Tempest do business with them, not even indirectly through me.” He gave his aide a dark look. “And I want them to realize that they made a grave mistake.” “...right.” Regelreiter nodded slowly. He obviously wasn’t entirely convinced that leaving Tempest behind was the best call to make, but he also knew when to stop pushing. “What’s your plan, boss?” “I want you to research my legal options. In the meantime, I will ask my aunt about her opinion. Our reaction needs to be decisive and swift, but also informed by wisdom.” “Right, right.” Regelreiter sighed and shook his head wearily. “On the bright side, this wasn’t your most catastrophic first date ever, so I suppose this could have gone worse.” I suppose this could have gone worse, Tempest thought. Granted, it also could have gone a lot better. Didn’t expect almost all the shop owners to shun me. I mean... sure, I never intended to settle down here, but this might make the transition period even more complicated than it already is. She gave the chariot one last look before it became too small to follow with the naked eye. Of course, the bitter irony is that now I’m stuck in exactly the situation I meant to avoid: out in the open, surrounded by a crowd of ponies who are very well aware that their former oppressor is all alone and “at their mercy.” She narrowed her eyes and forced herself to breathe slowly. Let’s see which of these ponies will be the first to play the hero. “Heh.” The voice was silky-smooth, the tone was arrogant, and the pegasus it belonged to was groomed to perfection. “You look surprised.” Tempest narrowed her eyes slightly but stopped short of scowling. Rich mare. Trophy wife, model, or just inherited her wealth. Probably never had to lift anything heavier than her comb. A sick part of her envied her perfect look - between the vibrant, light green coat, the striking silver mane, and the likely several thousand bits spent on beauty products, this mare had it all. And she isn’t even modeling for anything - she’s just... shopping, or whatever. She huffed. “Do I?” The beautiful mare gave her a condescending smile. “He doesn’t love you.” “...what?” Tempest blinked in confusion. “You heard what I said.” The pegasus batted her eyelashes. “Or did whatever creature who inflicted all of your deformities also damage your ears?” The Canterlot elite seems to like using that word. Tempest growled quietly. “I heard the words; they just didn’t make any sense.” “Oh?” The pegasus laughed, but it was a loud and fake laugh for the other ponies following their exchange from a safe distance. “Is that so?” “Yeah.” Tempest shrugged. “Nopony is talking about love here. He just-...” She gestured vaguely. “He just wanted to take me to lunch.” “Ah.” The condescending smile was back. “Yes. Of course. You keep telling yourself that. But know this: Prince Blueblood does not love you. He never will.” Tempest frowned, but then her eyes widened. “Ohhh! Are you his marefriend? Or... fiancée, or whatever?” She wasn’t sure how, but she had hit a nerve - the smile froze ever so slightly. “I’m... not, no. I’m his ex-marefriend.” She paused. “One of several.” And she is handling it sooo well. Tempest couldn’t help but smirk. “I’m starting to see why.” The crowd went dead silent, and the pegasus gave her a look as if Tempest had just snapped somepony’s neck right in front of her. “B-beg your pardon?” Tempest batted her eyelashes, mimicking the way the pegasus had done it. “You heard what I said.” When the pegasus only gawked, she pressed on: “Your sole redeeming quality seems to be that you are pretty. I can imagine you looked amazing at his side. But I’m really not impressed by your personality. All things being equal, I’d rather date a drunken sailor than a pony who-” The pegasus slapped her. Tempest froze, her head tilted slightly to the side. Well, now. She blinked. “You’re not my biggest annoyance right now, so I’ll let you have this one as a freebie. Consider yourself lucky and thank the Merchants’ Guild for being a bigger nuisance than you.” “Tch, you wouldn’t touch me,” the pegasus tested the waters after a slight pause. “What would your dearest Prince Blueblood say if you injured me?” “Probably that you had it coming,” Tempest muttered. “Though he also has bigger issues than an ex with an attitude problem.” She held up her hoof to cut the banter short. “Look, just walk away. I’m in a bad mood, he’s in a bad mood, so please don’t tempt me - I might just stuff you upside down into a trash can just to see if falling back into old habits makes me feel better.” “Lace and lycra, what terrible business sense you have!” Tempest blinked and slowly turned around, taking care to step out of the pegasus pony’s immediate attack radius, just in case. The slap hadn’t hurt, but she hadn’t survived this long by underestimating her opponents. “Excuse me?” She wasn’t sure what was gaudier - the unicorn’s combination of light blue coat and several bright shades of red, orange, and yellow in her mane or the black lace dress she was wearing. Whatever the case, she was approaching Tempest with a knowing smile and no apparent hesitation. “If you’re good at something, don’t do it for free.” “Noted,” Tempest said, trying to read the unicorn’s intent. “But I didn’t come here to pick a fight.“ “Probably for the best,” the unicorn replied airily. “This is the shopping district, so there will be little in terms of fighting... unless it’s a summer sale.” She chuckled at her own joke, ignoring the fact that neither Tempest nor the pegasus was laughing with her. “However, that does tell me that you likely came here to expand your wardrobe.” “...are you just going to ignore me?” the pegasus suddenly protested. “Oh, you’re still around?” Tempest looked over her shoulder. “That’s kinda pathetic.” “Time will prove me right! Prince Blueblood will break your heart! And once he does, don’t come crying to me!” “Hold that thought,” Tempest told the unicorn and turned back around. “Okay, I’ll break it down for you. First of all, I’m not interested in romance. And a stallion like Prince Blueblood surely wouldn’t consider a romantic relationship with me. I literally punched the guy in the face yesterday, for crying out loud!” She made a quick gesture to cut off the inevitable questions. “And finally, I’m not the kind of pony who would cry because her precious heart was broken. Got that? I didn’t cry when my boss betrayed me and told me that he wouldn’t cure this-” She angrily pointed at her broken horn, making the pegasus wince. “-so what makes you think I’d cry when some guy tells me he found a prettier pony than me?” She rolled her eyes at the stunned pony and turned back to the unicorn. “Sorry about that. Where were we?” She frowned briefly. “Oh right, something about buying clothes. I presume you have something to offer if you go out of your way to talk to me?” The unicorn smiled widely. “Why don’t you come with me? None of the ponies in a two-block radius will give you even the time of day - all stores here are connected to the Merchants’ Guild.” Under normal circumstances, a stranger coming out of nowhere and asking Tempest to follow her was a surefire sign that there was an ambush waiting for her. Well, either way, my situation improves dramatically. “And you’re not with them, I gather?” She motioned for the unicorn to lead the way. “Ah, being a member of the Guild would have its advantages, but their rules are hard to reconcile with my boss’s rules.” The unicorn led her away from the plaza. The pegasus was shouting something, but Tempest had already tuned her out. “And if in doubt, following Rarity is the smart decision.” “Rarity?” Tempest did a double-take at that. “Your boss is called Rarity? As in, unicorn, white coat, purple mane, likes to get chased all around the country with her buddies?” “She spoke highly of you, so I considered it my duty to help you out by offering my services!” She spoke highly of me? Tempest knew that Princess Twilight and her adventuring party considered her a friend, but this seemed like a step further, somehow. “Right, speaking of services, this might be a good time to mention that I’m short on cash. So unless being Rarity’s friend gives me a MASSIVE discount, I’m afraid-” “DISCOUNT!?” the unicorn screeched, then burst out laughing when Tempest jumped slightly. “Ha! Sorry, always wanted to do that.” “You’re funny,” Tempest lied and put on her best serious face. “I’ll be sure to chisel that onto your gravestone, right under your name.” She huffed. “Speaking of which, what is your name?” “Gunmetal gingham! If you have the funds to buy me a gravestone, you can afford to shop!” The unicorn flashed her a grin. “The name’s Sassy Saddles,” she finally said and held out her hoof. When Tempest shook it, she gestured at one of the shops down the streets. “And I manage Canterlot Carousel! Do note that it’s not called Canterlot Charity, even if Rarity is the Element of Generosity.” “...she’s the what of what now?” Tempest blinked. Her preparation for the invasion hadn’t covered much about Princess Twilight’s friends, much less about anything about elements. “Between you and me,” Sassy leaned closer and lowered her voice, even though nopony had been following them, “I never got the full story myself.” She pulled back. “But it sounds great, doesn’t it?” “Sure... sure...” Tempest tilted her head. This pony either loved to hear herself talk, or Canterlot ponies in general were just into this kind of empty talk. “Look, you’re a nice pony and all that jazz, but could we level about the whole money situation here before you drag me into your store and bombard me with more small talk?” Sassy blinked, and Tempest could almost hear the gears in her head not moving. “What money situation?” “I don’t have any, WERE YOU-...” Tempest forced herself to relax. She had dealt with armies before, so why were a couple of shopkeepers pushing her to her breaking point? “Were you not listening?” she hissed. “I was, I was, no need to shout...” Sassy shrugged. “But you don’t need money, do you?” When Tempest just gave her a long look of non-understanding, she shrugged. “You’re the mare, and you’re dating Prince Blueblood.” “I’m not-” “So guess where I’m going to send the bill.” Tempest froze. “...you will send a bill I racked up to His Royal Highness, Prince Blueblood, Palace Garden Street 1-184, Canterlot?” “...that’s not the address of the palace,” Sassy corrected her slowly. “You’re lucky it’s hard to miss, or you wouldn’t find your way around!” When Tempest was visibly struggling to hold back a nervous breakdown, she laughed lightly. “But yes, I will. Did you not arrive with him on a golden chariot, pulled by two of Canterlot’s most noble steeds?” “It wasn’t-” “And I guess Prince Blueblood was going to pay for your wardrobe when you went to Merino & Macrame?” “The shop was called-” “So yes, I’d say Prince Blueblood will happily pay for his date’s wardrobe!” “We’re not-” “Come along now, let’s get you dressed!” “Ugh,” Tempest muttered even as she followed Sassy to the store. “This is going to end in-” “-paperwork, as usual,” Princess Celestia muttered and eyed the stack of paper one of her accountants had just carted in. “How much of this is urgent?” The accountant, a middle-aged unicorn, frowned as he tried to read her mood. “Well, per standard protocol, nothing in here has to be processed today,” he said, “to allow for the occasional invasion of Canterlot, absence of both rulers, or other emergencies.” “As it happens occasionally,” Celestia added drily and rolled her eyes. “Right, so, barring an emergency, I suppose we need to get started.” She held her breath, then let it out after a few seconds when nothing exploded. “Very well, let us begin with-” The enormous double doors were flung open with much more force than necessary. “AUNT!” Blueblood shouted as he marched into the throne room, utterly unfazed by the guards around him who were torn between preventing a pony from causing a scene and not angering an already aggravated royal. “I REQUIRE ADVICE!” “You are late!” Celestia said and tried not to smile. And when she failed, she at least tried not to smile too widely. “Is it an emergency?” “Yes!” Blueblood snapped, then paused when he finally realized that he had charged into a meeting. “I mean... sort of. Is this important?” He gestured at the papers. The accountant hesitated, then sighed. “I suppose it can wait, Your Highness.“ “Very good, very good.” Her nephew waited until the accountant moved himself and the pile of paper out of their immediate vicinity. “Today, I was denied business!” he finally hissed. I see we are defining “emergency” rather loosely today. “I see,” she conceded slowly. “Without attempting to allocate blame... may I ask about the events leading up to that moment?” Blueblood smiled through gritted teeth, and Celestia suddenly realized that he was much angrier than she had anticipated. “I did nothing,” he hissed. “It’s Tempest Shadow!” Oh, no. “What... what did she do?” Easy. Relax. No guards or advisors have stormed into the throne room, there were no explosions, and- Her eyes briefly flicked to her left to peek out through the window. -nothing seems to be on fire. “She has the audacity to exist.” He huffed. “That’s apparently enough. Lapel Peak wouldn’t sell her a coat. And he wouldn’t even sell ME a coat to give to her!” “...ah.” Celestia gritted her teeth. She felt reminded of Luna’s reformation, which had been a significant PR effort. However, the case of a henchmare whose forces had occupied the city for three days with zero casualties had looked much more straightforward on paper. Especially after I allocated sizable funds to be used as restitution. “Well, you need to understand that there will always be some shopkeepers who-...” She stopped talking when Blueblood was giving her a look that made his earlier one look tame. Even worse, he wasn’t shouting. That had apparently happened earlier, and now, she had to talk an intelligent and calculating pony with considerable power out of doing something foolish. “It’s not just Lapel, is it?” “It’s the Merchants’ Guild.” Celestia had to hold back an uncharacteristic curse and instead took a very deep breath. The sole reason why I’m alive and well is that Tempest embraced the concept of friendship. And now, the entire Merchants’ Guild is trying to undo all of that out of spite? Ungrateful lot - I had hoped they’d be better than that. “I see,” she whispered. “Yes.” Blueblood started to pace. “Regelreiter is already checking the law situation, but I figured you would know best what my options are.” “You mean what your options are as a royal as opposed to a regular citizen?” “Yes.” Celestia thought about this for a moment. “None, essentially. At least nothing that can be done easily or in the short term.” She gave him a chance to curse, but he simply huffed. “Tempest can, of course, file a lawsuit over discrimination, but that may take months to resolve. Even with mild pressure from us, we would be talking about weeks. And the royal family, as rulers of this nation, can always bring stronger laws or even penalties to the table, but those will also take weeks or even months to draft, balance and negotiate.” “I feared as much...” Blueblood let out a long breath, his anger giving way to a weary expression. “But-...” It took him several attempts to gather himself. “I am in need of your wisdom, aunt Celestia,” he finally whispered. “I’m at a loss here - Lapel humiliated me, and my date with Tempest is dead in the water!” “Well, you came here, supposedly before ordering this shopkeeper to be arrested.” Celestia smiled. “That’s a very promising start, befitting both a royal and one of Equestria’s highest-ranking diplomats.” When he gave her a genuine, if tired smile, she led him to the window overlooking the city and - more importantly - the shopping district. “We established what Tempest and what we as royals can do. Both are valid routes, but they are long shots. The guild knows that. They are willing to engage us on these fronts, and even if we win the war, they will have made their point in this battle.” “I presume there is an angle that hasn’t been covered?” “That is correct.” Celestia gave him a mischievous look. “You have also been wronged today when you got into the crossfire.” He opened his mouth, then closed it again. “Well, yes,” he finally allowed, trying to catch up with her. “But I don’t have stronger standing in a lawsuit than Tempest. And you established that-...” He frowned when Celestia merely rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about justice here,” she told him. “Justice takes time. Justice can end up as a casualty once enough lawyers get involved in the battle.” She gave him a grin that had made kings cry. “I’m talking about revenge.” “Even Tempest didn’t want to firebomb the shop, so I feel that that’s a line we shouldn’t cross, either.” I would have preferred it if that hadn’t even crossed her mind as an option. Still, that is progress. “Oh please, what would that even do? The shops are massively insured, so we would just make him look like a victim, he’d rebuild his shop, and he’d probably have more money than before. No, my dearest nephew, it’s time that you consider the power you wield.” He considered her words for long seconds before finally shaking his head. “I’m afraid I don’t follow. Didn’t we establish that we don’t have power over them?” “No,” Celestia said and slowly led him from the window to her throne. “We established that there is no short-term policy fix to force them to reverse their position.” She sat down and gave him her best enigmatic smile. “The actions of the Merchants’ Guild are petty. These ponies wanted to make a point and flex their power. Now consider how you can do the same.” Blueblood frowned deeply, and Celestia appreciated the irony of the situation - typically, he excelled at being petty while she would urge him to consider a more professional path. After long seconds, he shook his head. “As much as I would love to, I do not see how.” Celestia beamed. “Then allow me to demonstrate.” She cleared her throat, making every pony in the room aside from Blueblood stand ever so slightly more at attention. “Melody Delivery?” One of the servants, a young unicorn with a dark red coat and a light brown mane that was neatly trimmed into a bob cut, approached them quickly. “Yes, Your Highness?” she asked timidly and gave them her best smile. “I believe we require the opinion of my sister,” Celestia said airily, ignoring the way Melody’s smile was freezing in place so hard she briefly worried about the poor mare getting a cramp. “Please retrieve the Royal Airhorn and wake her up.” “I-...” Melody took a short step back before minding her manners. “But-...” Her voice had gone up a full octave already. “You mean right now...?” she finally croaked. “Well... yes, of course.” Celestia feigned surprise. “Was I not clear on that?” “It’s-... I mean-...” Melody gestured this way and that. “Princess Luna has probably had less than an hour of sleep by now, so-...” “So what?” Celestia waved her hoof impatiently. “You have your orders.” Melody took a step backward, stopped, raised her hoof to protest, stopped again, and finally took a deep breath to- “Stop!” Celestia snapped, and Melody froze in place, eyes wide. “Blueblood! What is she going to say?” Blueblood gave her a look, then stole a glance at the poor servant. “I believe you are still allowed to breathe,” he finally whispered, making Melody gasp in relief. “And... hm.” He tilted his head, mulling over Celestia’s question. “I believe that Aunt Luna values a good nigh-... er, day’s sleep. The last time you sent over some poor stallion with the Royal Airhorn, she chucked him out of the window.” He paused. “Granted, she later claimed to have known that you had sent a pegasus, but between the two of us, I believe she was lying.” Finally, he gave Melody a long look. “She would have quit her job had you not interrupted her. Her position comes with good pay, but it’s not high enough to cover this sort of stress.” “Excellent!” Celestia cheered before gently motioning Melody to return to her place. “Don’t worry, dear, I’m not sending you.” Melody Delivery tried to laugh in relief but only ended up hiccuping nervously. “On second thought, why don’t you take the rest of the day off? I believe you’ve had your share of adrenaline for the day.” “Th-thank you, Your Highness,” Melody stammered before swaying in the general direction of one of the throne room’s side doors. Blueblood gave her a bemused look. “Entertainment value aside, what was the point of this exercise?” “To show you that even a lowly maid wields a certain amount of power over an alicorn.” “The power to quit?” Blueblood shrugged, but Celestia could tell that his mind was still racing. “I mean, that’s a fair point, but Lapel isn’t my employer. Our business relationship is one between businesspony and custom-...” His voice trailed off, and his eyes widened. She smiled down at him. “The only question, my dear nephew, is how far you are willing to go with this.” He gave the window a look and narrowed his eyes. “When these ponies look at me, they see a naive, rich brat. Bags of money on four legs, chasing skirts and wasting it all on flowers and restaurant bills to charm whichever fancy mare is in reach. They have seen me do this so often; they believe that what I feel for Tempest is just a short-lived phase before I move on.” Are they wrong? Celestia wisely held her tongue. “They believe that I will give her up just to get back in their good graces.” “But you won’t.” It was meant to be a question, but she corrected her delivery at the last moment. “They don’t understand.” Blueblood looked at her, but he wasn’t really looking at her. “They don’t understand... what this means to me. Tempest... Tempest gave my life a purpose. This here... all of this... it’s bigger than me. Bigger than what I’ve been doing with my life so far.” He shook his head. “It might pain me to do so, but I will take this as far as I have to.” He nodded slowly, then more enthusiastically as he slowly seemed to return to the here and now. “I will prove that I stand firmly by her side. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health... until death do us part.” He chuckled at a joke only he appeared to be privy to. Then he turned to the door and marched off. “Thank you, aunt! Your wisdom has proven to be invaluable as always!” “You’re welcome, Blueblood!” Celestia said, her smile barely masking her look of complete shock. When the enormous double doors had closed behind him, she almost literally jumped out of her throne. “Bring me the Royal Airhorn!” she snapped. “I need my sister to tell me if this actually just happened or if I’m asleep and she is messing with my dreams.” Blueblood marched into the War Room without bothering to knock. Of course, it wasn’t the palace’s actual War Room but rather a private study chamber in the Royal Library. But it was the room where he and Regelreiter had prepared all of their important and-slash-or audacious paperwork in the past, so it was obvious that he would be here now as well. “Give me another hour,” Regelreiter muttered without looking up from his books. “So far, I just got the obvious bases for lawsuits and a few things relating to honor duels.” He frowned. “Kinda weird that some of these are actually still a thing. They sound fairly savage, to be frank.” “Well, don’t worry, I do not plan to engage anypony in an actual fight.” “She might.” “That is fair,” Blueblood conceded. “But you can stop looking for obscure loopholes this one time.” That did make Regelreiter look up. “Did Princess Celestia have a suggestion?” “Yes. It’s an ugly solution, but I believe she was correct when she told me that sometimes, it’s important to make a point.” When his lawyer merely raised an eyebrow at that, Blueblood sighed. “Look up all my open shopping orders. Leave out the ones that are for businesses not covered by the guild.” He narrowed his eyes. “Then cancel them.” Regelreiter’s eyes went wide at that, and he cursed under his breath. “Are you sure about that?” he finally asked. “I mean, you have ordered a lot. Especially in the area of formal suits for galas and high-profile negotiations.” “Yes.” “Several of these orders are for next year. Some are even further in advance.” He gestured, then groaned when Blueblood remained stoic. “I mean, by then, this whole Tempest situation will be something few ponies will even remember.” “This isn’t about Tempest,” Blueblood said, giving Regelreiter a pointed, if weary, look. He briefly wondered how high-adrenaline ponies like Tempest or the Wonderbolts made it through any given day. “This is about the principle of it. The Merchants’ Guild was willing to insult me in their petty quest to pick a fight with Tempest, and that will not be forgotten.” He leaned in closer, and Regelreiter immediately leaned back without thinking. “I will show them that they picked on the wrong pony.” “Right...” Regelreiter nodded slowly, likely realizing that this was not something Blueblood was willing to discuss constructively. “I know where the orders are stored. Give me ten minutes or so to have somepony fetch them. How do you want to do this? Mail? A flock of carrier pigeons?” Blueblood laughed quietly at the mental image but shook his head. “That is far too sane and mundane. They are dealing with a slighted ROYAL!” He grinned and shook one hoof at the sky. Or, in this case, at the ceiling. “I want a GUARD making a PROCLAMATION! Right in front of Hoofies & Stitchies!” “Shawl & Peak,” Regelreiter corrected him quietly. “Whatever. Once they declare bankruptcy after I deny them my business, we will buy them out, rename their shop, and then we will make Lapel beg to be allowed to stay as the shopkeeper of Hoofies & Stitchies.” He gave Regelreiter his best sneer. “Because nopony else will be crazy enough to hire the idiot who said no to Prince Blueblood.”